


Ageless

by Whisperingwater



Series: Karamel Shenanigans [3]
Category: Karamel - Fandom, Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Drama & Romance, F/M, Father-Son Relationship, Friends to Lovers, KARAMEL FOREVER, KaraMel, Mon-El had a big kid, Not a Slow Burn!, POV Mon-El (Supergirl TV 2015), Romantic Friendship, Supergirl Universe, not a human AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-27
Updated: 2019-03-27
Packaged: 2019-12-25 08:47:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18257846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whisperingwater/pseuds/Whisperingwater
Summary: Mon-El Gand. Prince of Daxam. Mike Matthews. Or simply Mon-El. He was known by many names. Yet not many knew who the man really was. But Kara Danvers dared to.What happens when you are ageless and you meet the love of your life… who might also be ageless? Does that mean you two are going to live forever? If so, why not do it together?





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New shenanigans! Are you ready for this? And HAPPY BIRTHDAY MON-EL!
> 
>  
> 
> All the characters (except few original characters of mine) belong to DC Comics. The characterization is based off CW Supergirl. No copyright infringement intended.

 

 

Mike Matthews slid into the second last booth next to the window at Noonan's like he had been doing for the last four years on the very same day.

It was March 27. Year 2017. And all he needed was his caffeine fix.

Mike smiled as the waitress brought him his double espresso without asking.

"You know, you gotta try something sweet, like you," the older woman said with a kind smile.

"Only for you, Phoebe! And thanks for the coffee."

"You're welcome, Mike. Now, where's that cute friend of yours? He shows up every year on this day…"

"Traffic, I guess. He'll be here soon."

Once Phoebe left, Mike took a sip of his bitter coffee. He smiled as he remembered how he had warmed up to coffee after being a strict tea person. Good old days those were.

When the door opened, Mike looked up and his eyes fell on a tall man, dressed in a classy and neat suit; his dark brown hair all wavy thanks to the wind outside. He made his way towards Mike's table with a bright smile.

Mike's eyes lit up. He stood up just as the man pulled him into a tight hug.

"Hello, Nick! I'm happy to see you, too," Mike said as he patted the man's back.

"Happy Birthday, Dad!" Nicholas Matthews whispered before pulling away. "Look at you, you look amazing for your age, Mike!"

"Ha-ha! Very funny!" Mike smiled and shook his head. "Sit. What would you like to have?"

"Can we please have some cake? You never have cake for your birthday."

"Nick, I'm too old for a cake."

Nick chuckled. "Yeah. How old are you this year?"

"I don't know. I lost count. I would say thirty." Mike smiled as his son gestured for the waitress' attention. Phoebe was happy to see him and they chatted for a while.

Nick ended up asking for coffee as well, but just as Phoebe was about to leave, Nick said, "Can we have that little cake, please? The one with the buttercream frosting and sprinkles."

"Sure. You want anything on it?" Phoebe asked, looking at the two men weirdly. For the last four years, they would come here for some coffee. Mike would always be the first one here. He had told her that Nick was his cousin. But the whole cake thing made her curious.

"Maybe a small candle?" Nick asked. He turned to face Mike who was shaking his head.

"Of course! I'll be right back!"

Once Phoebe left again, Mike groaned. "You shouldn't have."

"What? It's not every day that my old man turns thirty!" Nick gave him a big grin.

"Anyway, how's Jo? And how the twins?"

"Good! Jo has taken the twins to her mother's place…" Nick looked out the window and sighed.

"What is it? Are you and Jo okay?"

"We are happy. Just… Jo is smart. She's suspecting."

"Suspecting what?" Mike raised a brow. When Nick looked back at him, Mike asked, "About me?"

"Yeah. She isn't buying the whole cousin thing anymore." Nick then lowered his voice and said, "Dad, Jo is my wife. I  _have_  to tell her."

"Nick, no. You promised… I know Jo is open-minded, but she's  _not_  ready for this. Trust me."

Nick sighed and looked away. There was no arguing with this man. It didn't matter how young he looked or how they pretended he was just a cousin, Michael Matthews was still his father.

Phoebe had come back just then. She placed the cake on the table along with Nick's coffee. She gave the men a big smile before leaving.

"Well," Nick started. "Go on. Make a wish."

Mike gave in and closed his eyes. He wished for something that was probably never coming true. Opening his eyes, he blew the candle and saw the brightest smile on his son's face.

And it immediately took Mike back to the time he had told Nick his secret and his son had smiled and assured him it was safe with him.

_Seventeen-year-old Nicholas Matthews returned home from school to see his father sitting on the porch, looking at his wife's wedding band that he now wore with a chain._

_"Hey, Dad! What are you doing out here?" Nick asked as he plopped next to Mike._

_Winter was coming and it was getting really chilly in Portland. And to see his father sitting outside was rather strange._

_Mike took a deep breath before asking, "Are you ready for college?"_

_"Yeah. I applied to few places. I hope it's Seattle, at least this way I can visit during weekends."_

_"Nick, if you get into Metropolis, go for it."_

_"Metropolis? But, Dad, it's on the other side of the country! I won't be able to visit you."_

_Mike looked up at him with a small smile. "Son, I'm leaving."_

_"What?"_

_"I'm thinking of moving. I want the sell the house. We'll split the money and you get a nice place of your own in the city."_

_Nick stood up. "No. I'm not gonna do that, Dad. Why are you acting like this? This was the house you and Mom bought together!"_

_"Listen to me, Nicholas. Things are complicated. You won't understand."_

_"Why won't I? Why won't you just tell me what's bothering you?!"_

_Mike sighed and stood up. He gestured for Nick to go inside the house. The teenager hesitated but he finally gave in and marched inside. Mike followed him in quietly and closed the door behind himself._

_Nick went and plopped on the couch, frowning. Mike grabbed himself a bottle of beer and sat on the armchair._

_"There's something you need to know. You're old enough and I trust you with my life. But you have to promise me, you will never tell my secret… our secret to anyone."_

_Nick nodded. "You know I won't, Dad. I just want to know the truth."_

_Mike sat back in the chair and took a swig of the beer before saying, "I'm not human."_

_"What?" Nick raised his brows. "This is a joke, right?"_

_Mike shook his head. "I wish it was. But no… Years ago. Many years ago, I came to this planet when my own was dying. Daxam. That was my home. And I was the Prince… My real name is Mon-El Gand. Daxam's sister planet Krypton exploded. Debris hit Daxam's moon and we… Solar storms and debris from Krypton ravaged Daxam and my guard put me on a pod and sent me to Earth."_

_"You mean you're an alien?" Nick looked really pale now._

_"I am. If that's the right term… Nick, have you ever felt that you're stronger than others… and faster?"_

_"Sometimes, yeah. I mean, I did lift this couch when I was thirteen."_

_"That's because you are half-Daxamite. You and I have these special powers. You have some of them, I have way too many."_

_"Like what? You can fly?"_

_Mike smirked. "Yeah. Sure can!"_

_"Wow, Dad! Why didn't you ever tell me? You know your secret is safe with me!" Nick gave him a bright smile. "This changes nothing! You're still my dad and I love you."_

_"I know, Son. But there's more to my story."_

_"Tell me."_

"Dad… Mike… Hey! Mike," Nick called, waving a hand in front of Mon-El's face.

"Huh… what?"

"You better eat that piece or I'll end up eating everything!" Nick smiled as he took another piece for himself.

"Yeah. Sorry, I was just…"

"Thinking about something important again?"

Mon-El shrugged. "No. Just stuff."

They finished the cake and their coffee and ended up in Mon-El's car because this was their routine. Coffee at Noonan's in the morning, lunch at Mon-El's place that he cooked and finally, going to the waterfront before Nick caught the flight back home at night.

But Nick decided it was time to do something different. Once they got into the car, he asked, "Hey, Dad, can we go to the waterfront?"

"What? Why?"

"Change is not bad, Mon-El. You should try it sometimes."

Mon-El huffed and turned the car around. He could never say no to this kid.

"So, are you gonna start dating again?" Nick asked, as he always did when he met his father.

Mon-El shook his head. "You know the answer is no, so why do you keep asking me?"

"You wanna know why? It's because I'm turning thirty-five this year. You are my father, but you look younger than me. You aren't aging. I am… And one day, I'm gonna die."

"Nicholas, stop this!"

"Let me talk, Mon-El. Just listen to me. Forget for a minute that I'm your  _son_. Think of me as a friend and just listen… You have always been there for me. You even told me that in my old age, you'd look after me. And I'm grateful for that. But you know what scares me? The way you alienate yourself from people."

"I do not!"

"Name one friend, Mon-El!"

"Winn."

"He's your  _neighbor_!"

"I hang out with Winn sometimes. He's a friend."

"Okay, fine. What happens when you pack up and move to another town? What then?"

Mon-El shrugged. "I don't know. I start all over again. Are you forgetting I do that every twenty years?"

"Dad, please! Stop torturing yourself. You need a partner. You need love in your life… It's a long life, please don't think of spending it alone."

Mon-El was quiet for a while. Nick was so much like his mother. He loved the woman too much to even think of moving on.

He let out a sigh and finally spoke, "Do you know how many people I have said goodbye to, Nick? Too many. And you know what hurt the most? Saying goodbye to your mother…"

"She didn't  _leave_  you."

"She did. She died knowing that she won't survive the childbirth." Mon-El had unshed tears in his eyes. "She chose you over me. And I had to  _bury_  her… Did you know just how hard it was for me? Goodbyes are not my thing, Nick. Even if I meet someone, I can't be with them forever."

"What if Mom survived and lived till she was all old and wrinkly?" Nick demanded. "Would you have abandoned her?"

"You know I would never do that to her!"

"Then find someone you will never want to abandon! I hate seeing you like this. I hate how lonely you are… You won't even let me tell Jo the truth. If she knew, she would accept you for the way you are! And you can live near us. You won't have to run away!"

"Nick, let it go. I really don't want to talk about this." Mon-El parked the car and stepped out. He walked towards the waterfront and sighed.

Nick had followed him quietly, with his hands inside his pockets.

"I saw the pictures," Nick said, looking at the sea.

"What pictures?"

"Winn posted some on his Instagram. Of you two hanging out… Seems like you got a new best friend."

"How did you know Winn had an Instagram?"

Nick smirked. "Winn and I follow each other. That's one way to know what you are up to."

Mon-El chuckled. "He's a nice guy. Your mom would have loved him."

"Yeah? You don't talk about her much these days."

"It hurts."

"I'm sorry, Dad. I'm sorry that she chose me over you. But I'm not sorry for being your son. You raised me all by yourself. You never let me down… But I've grown up, Dad. And I want you to be happy!"

Mon-El finally gave in. "Fine. I'll try to make more friends."

"Good! At least you're trying."

"Enough about me. Tell me how Max and Mia are doing! Playschool… Big deal!"

Nick let out a hearty laughter. "Mia is adorable and gets away with everything! Max is channeling his inner poet and he scribbles stuff on the walls. Jo isn't happy with that… The kids miss you."

"It's a surprise they even remember me."

"They do. And they love you… It doesn't matter if they know you're their grandfather or not."

Mon-El smiled and patted his son's back. "I'm happy to know that."


	2. Chapter 2

Mon-El was on his usual coffee run the next morning, but he had decided to make it a triple espresso because his dear son had decided to surprise him by taking him to the dive bar at night, where Winn was waiting for them and they ended up celebrating Mon-El's birthday with the entire bar!

The dive bar served something called the Aldebaran rum. It was deadly to humans, but the owner of the bar, a Martian had read his mind and figured out who he was. Aldebaran rum was no Zakarian Ale, but it was good.

And Mon-El got drunk for the first time in ages.

Nick had been careful. He didn't drink too much, but he did enjoy karaokeing with his father and Winn, who was surprisingly a great singer.

Mon-El regretted how he couldn't even drop Nick at the airport. His son had given both Mon-El and Winn a ride back home. Made sure Mon-El woke up to a glass of water and some Tylenol, tucked him in and then took a taxi to the airport. When Mon-El woke up the next morning and called Nick to see if he got back home safe, his son had told him he was already back at work.

Mon-El had never once imagined that Nick would go into Law Enforcement like his mother. Mon-El smiled thinking about his wife. She had been a cop. And what a badass woman!

Nick was a Detective at MCPD, and he was good at his job. Mon-El couldn't be prouder of his son.

As he stood in the line waiting to order his coffee, someone ran into him. And it felt like actually being run into. Both Mon-El and whoever had run into him fell. He pulled himself up and helped the young, blonde woman.

And when she looked at him, it felt as if his entire world had stopped for a whole minute before his brain kick-started.

"I'm so sorry!" she cried, placing a hand on his arm, getting up with his help. Not that she needed any help. "I wasn't looking. It's my fault. I'm truly sorry!"

"Hey! It's okay. You're not hurt, are you?" Mon-El gave her a polite smile.

This blonde woman who must have been in her early twenties was the splitting image of his late wife, Keira. The only difference was that she was blonde and had glasses. And the way she spoke… it was so soft.

She gave him a sudden smile. "I'm okay. But let me buy you a coffee. That's the least I can do after I bulldozed into you!"

Mon-El chuckled. He could feel his heart beating faster and for a spilt second if felt like her gaze fell on his chest.

"Don't worry about it. The line is too long and my head is killing me. I'll just head back home and make something," Mon-El said.

"Oh, okay!" The girl looked disappointed. She then schooled her expression and gave him a beautiful smile.

"Take care," Mike said before leaving the café. As he stepped out, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and called Nick.

Nick picked up on the second ring. "Hey, Mike," he said, letting Mon-El know that he wasn't alone.

"Nick, you won't believe what happened!"

"Umm… Why don't you tell me?"

"I met someone."

"Whoa! Buddy, that was super fast! I'm glad getting you drunk lightened you up a little."

"Nicholas! Not that way. I was at Noonan's for coffee and she ran into me. Literally ran into me…"

"Okay…"

"And Nick, I felt it. And her touch… I felt that, too."

Nick cleared his throat. "Mike, hold on a second. There's some problem with the signal. I'm gonna step out now."

Mon-El told him he would wait. Two minutes later, Nick said, "Dad, what do you mean by you  _felt_  it?"

"You know how a human's touch is there but not really? When this girl crashed into me, I was able to feel her… I don't know why but I feel she's not human."

"A Daxamite?"

"Not sure. And you know what the weirdest part?"

"Oh, so the whole feeling a person for real was  _not_  the real part?"

"No," Mon-El said. "I mean, it felt nice… Wait, it's her face. She looks exactly like Keira!"

"She looks like mom? You mean, she's pretty?"

"No, Nicholas! She has Keira's face! The same face! Except for the hair. This girl has curly blonde hair… Wears glasses, too. And damn, she is so beautiful!"

"Okay, Mon-El. Calm down. I know you have a crush on her. Why don't you go back and ask her out for coffee?"

"Can't. She already offered to buy me coffee for crashing into me and I politely refused. And I'm already outside my building."

"Damn, you walk fast!"

Mon-El walked into his building and zipped up the stairs. He opened his door and walked in. "You know what? I might never see her again. So I should just forget this… But it felt like seeing Keira again."

"Dad, it's okay to feel what you're feeling. You've avoided love and any kinda attraction for a long time. Just take it easy."

"Right. Thanks for talking to me, Nick."

"Hey, what are best friends for?"

Mon-El knew Nick was smiling as he said that. He said goodbye to his son and went to make that coffee. Seeing that girl had brought back so many memories. This one had literally crashed into him. But Keira… oh his Keira! She had shot him in the leg.

Mon-El shook his head when he remembered why. He was happily draining an electrical transformer to heal himself after a rather nasty accident at the mine he worked at. That was when she had called him. Not by his name. Simply  _'Hey, Dumbass! Get down here!'_  and when he didn't listen to her, she shot him in the leg. Mon-El had taken a bad fall. But the worst part was the lead bullet in his leg. That was when he found out he was allergic to lead. Keira had taken him home, taken the bullet out of his leg and slapped him hard, thinking he was trying to commit suicide. In the end, she had a bruised hand and he was barely alive. His Keira was one badass cop. The girl he had just met… she was some sort of an angel!

Mon-El ended up falling asleep even before finishing the coffee. When he woke up later, he realized it was already evening. He groaned to himself realizing he had messed up his entire schedule. But since he had already done that, he decided to go to the dive bar again and get wasted. Because getting drunk was the only way to stop thinking about Keira and the blonde from the morning.

When he reached the dive bar, he blinked twice at the lone figure sitting at the counter, nursing a glass of water. It was her! The blonde girl from that morning. Mon-El had no idea what kind of game destiny was playing, but he couldn't just ignore her, could he?

He made his way towards the counter to order a drink. He could act as if he hadn't seen her. He had to act normal for starters.

But the blonde girl's eyes did fall on him. She let out a small gasp. "It's you! From Noonan's this morning."

Mon-El turned to face her and acted as if he was surprised. "Oh hey! It's you!"

"Hi!" She gave him a bright smile. "I'm sorry for what happened this morning."

"Please, don't apologize. It wasn't your fault." Mon-El took a seat next to her.

"I'm Kara, by the way. Kara Danvers."

Mon-El smiled at her. "Mike Matthews. Nice to meet you, Kara… Can I buy you a drink?"

"Oh, that would be nice. I'll have a club soda."

When the bartender came to ask what they wanted to have, Mon-El replied, "One screwdriver for me and a club soda for the lady." He then turned to face Kara. "It's a surprise running into you here."

"Oh! Is it because of all the…" Kara looked around before lowering her voice. "Aliens."

"No, not really. I mean, humans come here, too. It's a nice place… It's just, you don't seem like the kind of girl who would be drinking a glass of water at a bar."

Kara smiled her beautiful smile. "Honestly, I'm not. My sister frequents this place. But something happened and I thought I could get a drink… Try to relax a bit."

Mon-El turned around in his chair. When he noticed an empty booth, he said, "Do you want to sit there? We could… talk."

"Sure. I would love that!"

Mon-El and Kara grabbed their drinks before heading to the empty booth. They slid in and sat comfortably before Mon-El asked, "People say I'm a great listener. So what's bothering you?"

Kara crinkled a little. "It's just my boss… I'm new, so all the work… it's a bit…"

"Underappreciated?"

"You could say that. I mean, I'm only her assistant. But she's so… demanding. This morning I didn't get her the usual bulletproof coffee because Noonan's was out of the grass-fed butter or whatever. She was upset and she told me that I had to work harder and if that meant I had to catch a cab and go all the way to the other side of the city to get a bulletproof coffee, I should do it… All that and she still drank the normal red eye."

"You know, at times some people make us feel as if we aren't trying hard enough. But that's not the main problem here. Your boss is simply habituated to certain things. Bulletproof coffee, in this case. And by the looks of it, you were running late to work and the line at Noonan's was crazy. Did you know three of their regular staff were missing today? And they ended up getting the breakfast rush right then. It wasn't your fault that Noonan's didn't have that butter. Next time this happens, tell your boss that Noonan's was out of the butter and going all the way to the other side of the town to get a coffee that will be cold when you get back to work is simply foolish. You have to take a stand when dealing with such people. Don't let them make you feel inferior in any way."

Kara took a sip of her club soda before saying, "Wow, Mike! Are you a therapist or something?"

Mon-El chuckled. "No. As a matter of fact, I'm in between jobs. I do some freelance writing."

"This is gonna sound weird, but it feels like I've known you for ages."

Mon-El looked at Kara carefully. Despite looking just like Keira, when he looked closer he could see the differences. Keira had dark brown eyes. As for Kara, her blue eyes were like comets. And yes, he had seen one up close while coming to Earth.

They talked for over an hour. Kara was funny and she had many jokes to share. And Mon-El simply loved her company. When he offered to take her home, she accepted. It was getting late, after all.

Mon-El dropped Kara outside her apartment building. Before getting out, she said, "I had a great time tonight, Mike. It was great meeting you."

"Me too, Kara… Do you want to do this again?"

Kara smiled shyly. "Maybe dinner? I know a nice Chinese place."

"And I just happen to like Chinese food."

"Great! Umm… Should I give you my number? This way we can…"

"Sure! Yeah. That would be great." Mon-El took his phone out and added Kara to his contact list. He then sent her a text from his number so she could have his too.

Just before getting out of the car, Kara leaned closer and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. It was nothing but a brush of her lips, but Mon-El really felt it.

"That's for being a gentleman. You know how to make a girl feel comfortable around you… like an old soul."

"You don't say." Mon-El smiled and waved to her. She waved back and walked into her building as he pulled out onto the road and headed back home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys like the new story! Two more chapters will be posted tomorrow! Do let me know what you think! :)


	3. Chapter 3

The very first date was a revelation. Mon-El knew that he enjoyed Kara's company and was attracted to her, but having dinner with her at a small, family owned restaurant, talking about their lives was what made him fall for her.

She was simple yet lively. She made him laugh so hard that he almost cried. And she believed in fortune cookies.

Hers said that love was just around the corner.

His said that he was already in love and if he knew what was best for him, he wouldn't let it go.

When he dropped her off, he got out of the car and opened the door to her building.

"Do you wanna come in for some coffee?" Kara asked, her voice filled with hope.

But Mon-El didn't want to rush it. He had rushed it the last time and look where it got him.

He gave her a kind smile. "Maybe next time."

"Okay. Next time." Kara smiled back. When Mon-El moved closer and leaned down, she leaned up and closed the distance between them. Kara's lips felt soft against his. Mon-El pulled away too soon, knowing if he didn't, he was going to follow her into her apartment.

"Good night, Kara."

"Night, Mike! I'll see you soon." Kara gave him another peck, surprising him before she ran into her building. Mon-El smiled and ruffled his hair. She made him feel like a teenager in love. He couldn't wait to tell Nick about his date!

But Mon-El couldn't.

After going home, he had called Nick with much enthusiasm. But it was Jo who had picked up.

"Hey, Mike," she answered.

"Jo, hi! I was wondering if I could speak with Nick."

"He had to run to the grocery store. He forgot his phone. Do you wanna leave a message?"

"Umm… you know what? It doesn't matter. I hope you're doing well. The kids, too."

"The twins and I are good. Thanks, Mike," Jo said. "You take care of yourself. Goodbye."

She cut the call even before Mon-El could reply. He knew what was going on. Her suspicion was getting worse.

Mon-El sighed and let it go. His excitement also died down. But when an unexpected visitor showed outside his door with pizza and beer, he gave him a big smile and invited him in.

Winn plopped on the couch and said, "I saw you while coming home. You seemed super excited! Wanna talk about it?"

Mon-El gave him a big smile. This was what Nick meant by getting friends. He could do this. "I went on a date! First time in many years."

"Whoa! Details, dude!"

Mon-El grinned before telling Winn just how amazing it was meeting Kara. Winn did seem surprised hearing that name, but Mon-El was past caring. He just wanted to let his friend know he was living again.

* * *

Kara and Mon-El's second date was Ice Cream at 10PM. Kara had had a busy week and she couldn't meet Mon-El. But when he called her on Friday and noticed she sounded upset, he asked her to meet him outside her apartment in ten minutes. He surprised her by taking her out for some ice cream. Three scoops of ice cream and one tall caramel milkshake later, Kara gave him a big smile and hugged him tightly. But she moved away too quickly.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" she asked in panic.

"What? No! Come here." He pulled her back into a hug and kissed her head lovingly. He liked this. He liked her. A lot.

When they stepped out of the store they noticed it was pouring down in torrents.

"Oh God! This is not good," Mon-El said, looking at the people who were running around seeking shelter.

"It could get worse. Maybe we should leave. My place is just five minutes away," Kara said, before stepping out.

"Hold on!" Mike removed his jacket and covered their heads with it. "Let's go. At least we can see this way."

Kara nodded and they made a run for it.

By the time they reached Kara's apartment, they were both drenched.

"Sorry the jacket didn't help," Mon-El said as he stepped a foot into her loft. "Nice place! It's so bright!"

"I like keeping it bright." Kara grinned before fetching him a large towel. "Bathroom's that way. Sorry I don't have any clothes you can change into. But I do have a t-shirt that is way too big for me. It was on sale."

Mon-El chuckled as he took the t-shirt from her. It was a large yellow t-shirt with Pikachu's face on it. And how did he know his Pokémon? Because his son had a phase where he thought he was a Pokémon trainer and collected those cheap cards.

"This shirt will make me look cute," Mon-El said as he made his way to the bathroom.

"You're already cute." Kara bit her lip and turned around before Mon-El could see her blushing. "Don't come out till I say so. I'm changing here."

"Sure."

Mon-El took off his wet flannel shirt and his jeans and stood in his boxers and undershirt. Thankfully his boxers weren't wet so he took off his undershirt and used the towel to dry himself. Putting on Kara's t-shirt, he washed his face and knocked on the door.

"Can I come out now?"

"Yeah!"

Mon-El stepped out to see Kara in a small t-shirt and shorts of her own. She smiled shyly, looking at the t-shirt he was wearing. "You were right. You look really cute!"

Mon-El made his way towards her. "Cute bunny shorts."

Kara reached out to touch his wet hair. "You should dry your hair or you'll catch a cold."

"I could say the same to you."

"I don't catch cold that easily." Kara's fingers trailed down. She caressed his cheek and brushed her fingers against his lips. Mon-El placed a gentle kiss on them before wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her fervently. Kara's hand touched his nape as the other grabbed his hair. She kissed him back just as eagerly and smiled against his lips as he deepened the kiss.

When Mon-El pulled away, assuming she needed some air, she pulled him back closer and kissed him again. Mon-El gently lifted her and carried her to the couch. Kara fell on her back and moaned when Mon-El's lips trailed soft kisses against her neck.

"Are you sure?" he breathed against her neck.

"Yes. I want you so bad."

Mon-El pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "We could wait…"

"I don't want to."

He smiled and asked, "You've done this before, haven't you?"

When Kara didn't reply, he lifted his head up and looked at her. She was biting her lower lip nervously.

"Kara? Are you a virgin?"

"Yeah… is that a problem?"

"No. But I don't want to hurt you."

Kara smiled and cupped his face. "I know you won't. We'll be careful." She pulled his head back down to kiss him. And with that, Mon-El was lost in her arms. The whole thing feeling so real, so much more. As if he had really been touched.

They lay sated next to each other. Kara moved closer and kissed Mon-El's shoulder as he lay still, listening to her heart beating fast, just like his.

"You're not hurt, are you?" Mon-El asked, softly, turning to face her.

Kara gave him a beautiful smile and shook her head. "I thought it would be painful, but I'm okay. How about you?"

"Well, I just had the best sex of my life, so yeah… I'm good." Mon-El pecked her lips before moving away and caressing her cheek.

"We should do this again," Kara said, determined.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I like this… I like you."

"I like you, too." Mon-El smiled when Kara kissed him this time.

* * *

When Mon-El woke up the next morning, he stretched on the bed and turned to face Kara. "Good morning," he said. When he noticed he was alone on the bed, he called, "Kara?"

But no reply came. Mon-El sat up and talked to himself. "Was it that bad? Or was it that  _good_?"

He hoped it was the latter. Getting up, he noticed his clothes had been neatly folded and placed on the armchair nearby. He smiled and grabbed his t-shirt. Just as he slipped it on, he heard the front door open.

Kara gave him a big smile as she walked in with a bouquet of flowers and two cups of coffee.

"Morning," she said, making his way towards him.

"Hi!"

"I got you these." She held out the flowers for him before handing him the coffee."

"Oh! What a gentleman. Thank you." Mon-El smiled at her.

Kara gave him hearty laugh seeing him drop the flowers inside the lamp.

"So, I had a really nice time." She said giving him a shy smile.

"Yeah? Me, too." Mon-El wrapped his arms around her waist. Kara placed her hands on his shoulder and smiled. "Um, one note."

"Okay?" She asked, crinkling a little.

"I would like to wake up next to you."

"Oh?"

"Yeah."

"Okay." Kara closed the distance between them by kissing him softly.

When she pulled away, Kara said, "Speaking of which… umm… can we just keep this quiet?"

"What you… you don't want people to know?" Mon-El asked in confusion. And he was the one keeping secrets here.

"No, no, I do. It's not that… It's just… just for now. My sister is awfully protective. I don't want her to judge you. Judge us… And for things to get complicated. I just really don't want that to happen to us."

"Hmm. So there's an "us"? Mon-El asked with a small smirk.

"Yeah."

"Yeah? I like that." Mon-El gave her a soft kiss. "Well, okay. We can keep it quiet."

Kara grinned as she cupped his face and kissed him again. He liked her enough to listen to her. But that meant not telling Nick.

But Nick was busy, so he could tell him later. Kara would be ready too.

"What would you like to have for breakfast?" Kara asked, heading towards the kitchen.

"I thought you didn't cook."

"I can't. But I learnt how to make pancakes!"

"I love pancakes."

"Great!" Kara grinned. "I'm gonna make you amazing pancakes! So amazing that you'll fall in love with my cooking."

"Careful, woman. They say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach… I might end up falling in love with you."

Kara put on her apron and gave him a shy smile. "That won't be too bad, would it?"

"Not at all!"

* * *

To Mon-El's delight they didn't have to keep it a secret for long. Two weeks into dating, Kara decided it was time her friends met her boyfriend. She invited Mon-El to a game night where he ended up meeting Alex Danvers. The sister Kara always talked about. Alex intimidated Mon-El a little and Kara was not joking about her being protective. But Alex warmed up to him soon. He found out that she worked for the FBI and that made him respect her more. The other person he met was Jimmy Olsen, the guy who worked with Kara. There was nothing special about him. But there was one person Mon-El was shocked to see.

Winslow Schott Jr.

It was his neighbor/pizza and beer buddy who was at the game night. To Mon-El's surprise, he was also Kara's best friend. To say Mon-El fit in right with them would be an understatement. They welcomed him with open arms and by the end of the night, even Alex was laughing about something, getting all drunk and being super funny.

And for Mon-El, he finally fit somewhere, after a long time.


	4. Chapter 4

Almost a month into their relationship, Mon-El took Kara to the waterfront where he always hung out. There was a fair nearby and Kara wanted to go there. And so, after having a lot of fun and getting their tummies filled with yummy food, Mon-El and Kara took a walk by the waterfront.

Mon-El stopped by the lone statue that stood there and looked up. "I admire her," he said, pointing at National City's hero in a red cape.

Kara looked tensed when he said that. "She seems cool."

"She seems awe and some!" Mon-El winked at her.

Just then, he heard something. And he knew very well that Kara heard that too. She panicked, trying to figure out how to leave without making a crappy excuse.

But Mon-El helped her out by saying, "Go. Be Supergirl."

Kara's eyes widened hearing that, but she nodded and said, "Meet me back at my place." With that, she turned and ran. And before he knew it, the girl of steel was flying blue.

* * *

When Kara came back to her apartment, dressed as Supergirl, she let out a loud sigh before flying in through the balcony. Mon-El, who was busy watching something on the TV, looked up and smiled at her.

"Hey, babe!"

"Okay. How are you not freaking out right now? Why aren't you running out that door?"

Mon-El stood up and shrugged. "Why? Should I be running?"

"Mike, I… listen, I didn't mean to hide this from you. I was scared that I would scare you away."

"Kara, you are not the only one keeping secrets."

"What do you mean?" Kara asked, worried.

Mon-El didn't reply. He simply held up a finger, asking for a minute. And right in front of Kara's eyes, he ran towards the balcony and jumped.

"MIKE!" Kara screamed as she ran towards her balcony, but to her disbelief, the man was hovering in the air in front of her. Kara's eyes widened as Mon-El flew in.

"Don't hate me. I was just waiting for the right time to tell you the truth."

"That makes two of us," she said before sighing. "Wow! You're a meta, too! What are you? A Kryptonian?"

Mon-El shook his head. "You need to sit down. You might not like this."

"Give me a minute, please." Kara zipped out of the room and came back wearing her normal clothes. "Tell me." She sat on the couch and waited for Mon-El to speak.

"You and your cousin were not the only ones who came to Earth when Krypton died," Mon-El said. "Daxam died with Krypton. That was my home."

"You're a Daxamite. That's why I never hurt you."

"Yeah. And because you are a Kryptonian,  _I_  didn't hurt you… My real name is Mon-El. I was the Prince of Daxam."

"The Prince was a selfish Casanova!"

"Guilty!" Mon-El gave her an apologetic smile.

"Damn! That's why you're so darn charming!"

"Thanks for the compliment, babe."

"Well, this changes nothing," Kara said, determined. "I love you. And I didn't fall for the name. I fell in love with the person you are."

"I know," he said.

"That's it?" Kara asked in disbelief. "I just confessed to you!"

"I know. I was just enjoying my Han Solo moment. But I love you, too." Mon-El smiled and sat next to her.

Kara smiled back and kissed him. When she pulled away, she said, "My real name is Kara Zor-El."

"Hi."

"Hi," she whispered against his lips. "Can I call you Mon-El?"

"I would love that, but only when we are alone, okay?"

"Okay. I'm shook by the way. I thought I was dying alone."

Mon-El chuckled. "Same. I thought it was going to be a long, lonely life. I'm so glad I met you."

Kara caressed his cheek. "Mon-El?"

"Yes, baby."

"Make love to me. And don't hold back."

"You got it, beautiful!" Mon-El stood up and took her in his arms. Kara squealed in surprise.

* * *

Later, as they lay on the bed, sated, catching their breath, Kara placed her hand right over where his heart was. "Where's that necklace you always wear?"

Mon-El stiffened. "I… I took it off."

"Why?"

"I didn't really feel comfortable wearing it when we were… being intimate."

Kara caressed his cheek with the back of her hand. "Talk to me. I'm here."

Mon-El braced himself. He wasn't sure how Kara would take this. Letting out a sigh, he said, "I'm just nervous how this will go. Kara, you mean a lot to me. I don't want to lose you over this."

"Whatever it is, I promise I will not be judgmental."

"Okay… That ring I wear in a chain… it belonged to my wife."

Kara froze next to him. "You're married?"

"Was. I was married. She died."

"Mon-El, I'm so sorry. We don't have to talk about this if it makes you uncomfortable."

"No, we do. I need to be honest with you… I met Keira by accident. She was a cop. I was doing something illegal and she shot me in the leg. But she realized that I could complain about her so she took me home and took the bullet out by herself. And damn! It hurt! We hated each other… We fought all the time." Mon-El smiled remembering his Keira. "But I guess, we had connected in some way… We got married and bought a small house in Portland. And everything was great for a while."

"Was your marriage on rocks?"

"It wasn't as strong as it was supposed to be. She did something. She chose someone over me. She knew she wouldn't make it, yet she still chose him."

"Who?"

"Our son."

"You have a  _child_? How old is he? Which grade is he in?"

"I do. And no, he's not in school." Mon-El smiled and grabbed his phone from the side table and opened the Photos. He clicked on the latest one he had taken with Nick during his birthday. "This is him. Nicholas."

"Mon-El, is this a joke?" Kara sat up and zoomed the picture. "This is a grown man…"

"I was married thirty-seven years ago, Kara. My son is turning thirty-five this year and since I stopped aging, he's five years older than me."

"Mon, I thought… I just—"

"You thought all this happened few years ago and I have a toddler?"

"Yeah."

"Nope. I stopped aging, Kara. I'm pretty much ageless now… Nick knows the truth. After I told him, I sold off the house that Keira and I bought together. Nick left to Metropolis and I just… wandered. New town. New name. Same old me. It's been going on for years."

"What does Nick do?"

"He's a Detective at MCPD. And he's really good at his job!" Mon-El said proudly, like the proud father he was.

Kara smiled hearing that. "I'm trying to wrap my head around all this… I think I can do this! When can I meet Nick?"

"Oh! About that… I told Nick that I met you and that we were seeing each other, but he's been so busy, I never told him just how serious we are about each other."

"Oh, okay... But you will, right? You'll tell him about us soon?"

"In the morning, I promise." Mon-El kissed her cheek. "Thanks for being so understanding."

"Look, Mon, I'm not gonna write you off because you have a past. You were married once and you have a grown up son. I don't know how you manage to keep that a secret, but I know you love him. And I feel Nick and I might get along."

"Nick can't wait to meet you. He was excited when I told him about you."

Kara smiled. "You said he is turning thirty-five this year? Does he… does he have a family?"

"He does. He met his wife during college. Her name's Josephine. They have twins. A boy and a girl… Max and Mia."

"You're a grandfather!" Kara lay back down on the bed, pulling the sheet to cover her bare chest.

"I guess. I mean, I am. But they don't know. Nick and I kept it a secret from Jo and the twins."

"Nick's wife doesn't know? Mon-El, how is their marriage okay if he's keeping such a big secret from his wife?!"

"Kara, she won't understand."

"And how do you know that?" Kara demanded, sitting up again. The sheet pooled around her waist and Mon-El's eyes fell on her chest. "Mon, stop checking out my boobs!"

"Sorry," Mon-El said, sheepishly.

Kara sighed. "You feel people won't understand, but I can prove you wrong. Do you trust me?"

"I do. Except when you make me eat extra spicy stuff…"

Kara rolled her eyes at him. "Tomorrow, I'm taking you to DEO."

"What's a DEO?"

"The Department of Extranormal Operations. It's a secret government agency. I work for it."

"What? But CatCo…"

"CatCo is my day job. Do you really think I fly around as Supergirl without any help? I know super hearing helps. But I do get help by a team of professionals. Plus I get paid. How do you think I afford this place? And get a bed made out of nth metal that won't even break if we have a sex marathon."

"A sex marathon, huh? I'm up for it."

Kara grabbed a pillow and swatted at Mon-El's chest. "Mon, get serious!"

"Okay. Okay… I'm serious. But can you promise me this DEO won't lock me up?"

"You have my word! They won't touch you... If you are up for it, they might run a few tests on you. Mostly physical ones. To see how strong and fast you are. You'll be fine." Kara cupped his face and said, "It would be amazing if I have you by my side."

"What do you mean?"

"Mon-El, you have all these powers… you can use them to help the people. Help the city. Like I do."

"You mean… be a superhero?"

"If that's what you wanna be called, then yes. I won't mind having a partner out there."

"Kara, I haven't used my powers in ages. Not since Nick was born… I had to be normal for him!"

"Nick is an adult, Mon-El. And he can take care of himself… But you can choose to do good. You did say you were in between jobs. What if this is what destiny has in store for you?"

"I… I don't know if I have it in me, Kara."

"Keira believed in you, you know. You said she chose the baby over you. Why don't you think of it this way? Keira knew you would take care of the baby and you'll raise him to be a good person. Look at him now. He's a detective! He helps people. Saves lives. He's doing good in this world. And Keira would have been proud of him. But what about you?"

"I'm no hero."

"No one is asking you to be a hero, baby. Just be Mon-El… You were supposed to be the King of Daxam. So much responsibility. Yet you were ready for it… We came to this world and got these powers. I say we use them for the good."

When Kara saw Mon-El nod, she gave him a big smile and hugged him tightly. He hugged her back and muttered, "I'm out of practice."

"Well, practice with me. We have a gym at DEO. And I'll kick your ass."

"Oh really?" Mon-El raised his brow. "Let's see who kicks whose ass!"

"Bring it on!" Kara placed her hands over her waist and did her famous Supergirl pose.

Mon-El grinned and said, "Nice boobs!"

Kara squealed and covered her chest with her arms, but Mon-El had already pulled her arms away and lowered his face over her breasts.

She let out a loud moan and grabbed his hair. "I've been having super sex all along and I had no clue."

"Perks of dating a hot Daxamite," Mon-El muttered against her nipple.

"Charming!" Kara giggled. "Don't stop, Mon."

"Never, baby!"


	5. Chapter 5

Mon-El had never been this nervous as he was today. Kara had taken him to the DEO and to his surprise both Alex and Winn were there.

"What are you doing here?" Mon-El asked his friend, who offered him a red tube excitedly.

"Welcome to the DEO! I work here!"

"So you knew about me?"

Winn nodded. "Since the beginning. I mean… you caught be with a single hand as I tripped from the fire escape. That kinda strength… I've only seen Kara do that. So I had my doubts. I started keeping an eye on you. But you were very discreet. You nailed the whole human thing, Mike!"

"Umm… since you already know about me, I should probably tell you my real name. It's Mon-El."

"El? Like a Kryptonian?" Alex asked, looking at her sister.

"A Daxamite," a tall, dark man said. Mon-El looked up at him. "Welcome to DEO, Mon-El. My name is Hank Henshaw. I'm the Director."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Henshaw." Mon-El shook hands with him.

"When Agent Schott told us you were the same person Kara was dating, we wanted to meet you. I'm impressed by how you managed to stay hidden for so long."

"It wasn't easy. You know that all too well," Mon-El said to J'onn. When the older man looked at him suspiciously, Mon-El added, "You're a Martian. You're trying to read my mind."

J'onn gave him a rare smile. "The name is J'onn J'onzz. I'm a Green Martian… We have been following you for a while and we only know very little about you. Why don't you join us and tell us where you come from and what all you can do." J'onn gestured towards a conference room.

Mon-El nodded. Before he followed J'onn, Alex and Winn, he felt someone grab his hand.

Kara smiled and squeezed his hand. "I know what it's like to be a stranger on this planet. So when you give those tests and are ready for this, I'll be there for you. So you'll never know what it's like to be alone. Out there."

"Thank you. I don't know what I'll ever do without you." Mon-El kissed her hand and they made their way towards the conference room together.

Mon-El told them all about Daxam and how he got to Earth, but he left out Keira and Nick. Kara knew that but she decided to ask him later.

Tests were run and they found out he was as strong as Supergirl, if not more. But he  _was_  out of practice. Kara volunteered to train him before he could go on any mission.

And by the end of the day, Mon-El was officially a part of DEO. J'onn had handed him his DEO ID that also doubled as his FBI one and his security pass.

It was Winn who had given him a DEO t-shirt, a mug and a sweatshirt. He had also given him a box of red tubes as he promised to make him a badass suit. And Mon-El knew that he would settle right in with these guys.

J'onn personally oversaw his training, and Kara had not lied about kicking his ass. It took him just a week to train. Once he had defeated Supergirl by pinning her down on the ground, J'onn gave him permission to go on missions as a special agent.

Mon-El was also a superhero-in-training. He loved flying with Kara once he got comfortable flying. She taught him how to use his other powers since he hadn't bothered with his heat vision and his freeze breath. His heat vision was red while Kara's was blue. And when they collided, purple covered the air.

* * *

Almost a month later, Agent Matthews returned home after a long mission. Now that Kara knew about Nick, he had no problem taking her to his place, since he had pictures of Nick there that he wouldn't have been able to explain if Kara hadn't known his secret.

Kara loved spending time at his place. Mostly because he spoiled her by cooking for her all the time. But today, he was too tired to cook. To his surprise, Kara had ordered takeout, ran a bubble bath for him, which she joined, and they ended up snuggling on the couch, drinking wine.

"I think you should meet Clark," Kara said before taking a sip of her wine. "He's been waiting to meet you."

Mon-El sat quietly staring at Kara. A couple of minutes later, he finally spoke, "What if he hates me?"

"What? Why would he hate you?"

"I don't know… I'm older. I've a history. I'm Daxamite!"

"Clark was a baby when he came to this world. He was raised by humans. He never knew the whole Krypton vs Daxam thing, so you don't have to worry about that. Plus he's a huge teddy bear. But his wife, Diana, is the one who usually scares people."

"Diana?"

"Wonder Woman?"

"WHAT?" Mon-El's eyes widened. "I LOVE HER!"

"What?!"

"I mean, I look up to her. She's a badass warrior princess," Mon-El explained in a hurry.

"Oh. Better."

"Don't worry, baby. You're number one, always!" Mon-El leaned closer to kiss her cheek.

"So… we can fly to Metropolis tomorrow? It's Saturday and we can stay with Clark and Diana for two days before coming back home on Sunday," Kara suggested. "Maybe we could meet Nick, too."

"Nick?"

"Yeah. You told me he lives in Metropolis. And I think it's about time I met him."

Mon-El nodded quietly. He had been giving Nick updates about his life. And his son was proud of how far he had come along. Nick had also asked him when he could visit to meet Kara and the others. But Mon-El had told him to give it some time.

"I'll call Nick and ask him if he's free to meet us."

"Mon, I'm sure he can make some time out of his busy schedule to meet you."

"Things with Jo have not been good, Kara. Nick told me that she was urging him to do an ancestry test to see if he has any living relatives left. Except for me."

Kara caressed Mon-El cheek. "You could always tell her the truth."

"And end up complicating things? No thanks."

Kara dropped it. She knew he wasn't ready to listen to her, but she also knew that Nick was right. Jo did have the right to know Mon-El's truth. When she met Nick, she would talk to him and work it out. That was the least she could do for Mon-El and his son.

Kara and Mon-El had packed one overnight bag and flew to Metropolis on Saturday. They were having lunch with Clark and Diana, so they went straight to their place.

Clark and Diana were very welcoming and were happy to meet Mon-El. Now that he was doing the Superhero thing too, it was easy to talk to Superman and Wonder Woman about a lot of things.

Clark had promised to take Mon-El to the Justice League headquarters on Sunday. And the Daxamite couldn't wait.

Mon-El had called Nick once he had finished having lunch. Nick had invited him and Kara to dinner at his place later that evening and told him that Jo was eager to meet Kara.

And so, Kara and Mon-El ended up outside Nick and Jo's house around seven in the evening. They had to stop by to get presents for the couple and their twins since Kara didn't want to go empty handed. Mon-El usually took chocolates for the twins knowing it was son who ate them in the end.

In the end, Kara had bought an expensive bottle of white wine for Nick and Jo, and LEGO for the twins since Mon-El mentioned that to her.

Kara rang the doorbell and waited. When she looked at Mon-El, she noticed how nervous he looked.

"Hey! They are family. And you're doing great…" She leaned closer to kiss his cheek. "I'm here with you."

Mon-El nodded just as the door opened. It was Jo.

"Hi there! Please come in," Jo said with a big smile. "Hey, Mike! Good to see you. And you must be Kara."

"Hello, Jo," Kara said, handing her the bottle of wine. "It's nice to meet you."

"Oh honey, you didn't have to!" Jo pulled Kara into a big hug. "It's really nice to meet you, too. Mike, why did you take so long to tell us you were dating someone?"

"Never got a chance." Mon-El shrugged.

"MOMMY!" Two excited voices called out, making their way towards Jo. They looked at Mon-El and said, "Hewwo, Unca Mike!"

"Hey, you two!" Mon-El crouched and patted their heads.

Kara smiled looking at him interact with the twins. They looked a lot like Nick, but they had their mother's green eyes. Mia had a cute headband and that was literally the only way Kara could tell the difference between the twins.

Max was the first one to notice her. "Oh, you pwetty! I like." He then hugged Kara's legs. "Stay, pwease."

Kara chuckled as she bent down and hugged him back. "Hi, my name is Kara. What's yours?"

"I'm Max," the little boy said, refusing to let go off Kara.

"I'm Mia!" the little girl called as she hugged Kara as well. "You nice!"

"Aw, thank you. You're amazing, too!" Kara gave both the twins kisses on their cheeks and they cooed. She gave them the LEGO she had brought for them and they thanked her, before showing the present to their mother.

"You're great with kids, Kara," Jo said, looking at her talk to the twins with a bright smile. "You'll make a great mom someday!"

Kara's eyes fell on Mon-El. He was looking at her too. They had never discussed children, but the smile on his face said that he wasn't opposed to that idea.

When Kara heard someone clear their throat, she stood up to see it was Nick.

Nicholas Matthews was the same height as his father. He was a good-looking young man with hair the same shade of Mon-El's and dark brown eyes like his mother's.

"Hi," he greeted her. "Good to see you, Kara."

"Hello, Nick. It's great to see you!"

Nick shook hands with her and notice how Max was clinging to her leg. He smiled and turned to face his father.

"Hey, Mike! You're looking good."

"Thanks, Nick. I took your advice and I guess it did me some good," Mon-El replied.

Nick went to give Mon-El a quick hug. "I told you so!"

"Kara, Mike, please take a seat. Would you like to drink something? Maybe some wine?" Jo asked.

"Thank you, Jo. But we are fine," Mon-El replied.

Kara took a seat on the couch next to Mon-El. Mia was sitting on the arm of the couch, showing Mon-El a Supergirl action figure. Max was still clinging to Kara, announcing that he liked her very much.

"All you Matthews men are charming," Kara whispered to Mon-El.

"And two of us can't stay away from you," Mon-El said, gesturing at Max, who was hugging Kara's arm.

"It's okay. I'll take this sweet little guy over you any time!" Kara winked at Mon-El and got a pout in return.

Nick, who was sitting on the armchair opposite to the couch, couldn't help but stare at the couple. It felt weird seeing Mon-El like this. This was a whole different person!

"Dinner's ready," Jo announced just then. "Sorry, Kara, we eat early because of the twins. I hope that won't be a problem."

"Oh no, not at all." Kara smiled and followed Jo to the dining room. Max grabbed her hand and offered to lead the way.

Mon-El noticed that Nick hadn't taken a seat at the head of the table. He never did when Mon-El was around, but that didn't stop Mia from plopping on the chair next to her father and giving him a big smile. Nick pinched her cheek before making a funny face at her.

Mon-El smiled at that. When he felt Kara's hand on his, under the table, he turned to look at her.

"You okay?" she whispered.

"I am," he replied in a low voice.


	6. Chapter 6

Dinner was Pan-Fried Cod with Slaw, Garlic Bread and Scalloped Taters. Jo was a really good cook, but she did give Nick credit too. The twins had helped her with the garlic bread and Max proudly told that to Kara.

The twins ate the cod along with boiled veggies and garlic bread. Mia had offered her veggies to Mon-El, who politely refused when Jo told them that Mia loved finding new ways to not eat her vegetables. The little girl sighed and took a bite of a baby carrot.

Seeing as everyone was enjoying the meal and engaging in small talk, Jo decided to make use of this opportunity.

"So, Mike, Nick never told me if you were related to him from his mother's side or his father's."

Mon-El stopped eating and grabbed the wine glass. He took a sip before saying, "His father's."

"Do you have any idea where Nick's dad is?" Jo asked, sounding curious.

Kara looked at Mon-El to see he was a little tensed.

"Honey, let's not talk about this," Nick said.

"Why not? Babe, this is your cousin. He might have some idea." Jo then turned to face Kara. "Kara, believe it or not, Nick hasn't seen his father since he was seventeen. The man took off one day and never returned. And my husband hasn't found the closure yet. All I'm telling is go search for the man. He must be somewhere." Just as she said that, her eyes fell on Mon-El.

Nick cleared his throat. "My father left because he wanted to. He has clearly moved on with his life, and I don't wish to be a part of that life."

Mon-El's eyes fell on Nick. He looked shocked by his words.

"How is it that you don't have any other relatives?" Jo asked. "Just Mike? That's a little hard to believe."

Nick stood up and threw his napkin on the chair. "Believe whatever you want. I'm done." With that, he walked out of the room.

The twins ate in silence, making Kara wonder if this happened frequently.

Mon-El stood up and said, "I'll go talk to him." He followed Nick out to see him standing in the backyard, running a hand through his hair.

"Nick," Mon-El called. "Come back to dinner. This will make a bad impression on the twins. They do not want to see their father like this, trust me."

"Are you f*cking kidding me right now? You have  _no_  right to say that!" Nick shot back. "You hid your truth from me for seventeen years. And then what do you do? You run. Like a coward! You ran because I was a burden to you. I still am!"

"Nicholas!"

"Don't, Mon-El. You don't get to silence me today. Now I talk and you listen. You are going to destroy my marriage. Before you know it, Jo will be leaving me and taking the twins with her. And then I'll be left alone while you have started a new life with your girlfriend and a whole bunch of new friends and a swanky new job, while I spend the rest of my life wondering where I went wrong when it wasn't even my fault!"

Mon-El stayed quiet. Nick's outburst was something he hadn't expected. And to even think that Nick thought of him this way… it was heartbreaking.

"Let me do us all a favor," Mon-El started. "I'm going to leave and stay out of your life." With that, he turned and went back in.

Kara, who had heard everything, took her phone and said, "Jo, I just got a message from my cousin. He isn't feeling well and I think we should go."

"Right now?" Jo asked, just as Mon-El walked back into the room.

His eyes widened when he saw Kara was doing damage control.

"I'm sorry," Kara said to Jo. "We had a wonderful time. But Clark got food poisoning and he's all alone at home."

"I hope he feels better soon. It was lovely meeting you, Kara." Jo came to give her a quick hug.

"You too, Jo." Kara then hugged the twins and told them she would see them soon. "Please tell Nick I said goodbye. And thanks for having us again." Kara grabbed her coat and noticed that Mon-El wasn't saying a word.

Nick had just walked into the living room. Mon-El's eyes fell on him and he frowned at his son. He then turned to face Jo and said, "You what to know where Nicholas' father is? He's dead. I buried him. So it's better you forget him and focus on your life." With that, he turned around and walked out of the door.

Jo was shocked to hear his words. She watched Kara run after Mon-El and grab his arm. Just as the door closed, Jo turned to look at her husband. "Nick, I'm so sorry!" Her eyes were filled with unshed tears. "Baby, I'm so so sorry. I didn't—I didn't think he would have… I'm so sorry!" She wrapped her arms around Nick, who stood very still. He didn't hug her back. He pulled away and headed upstairs.

"I'm going to bed now," he said. "I have to go to work early tomorrow."

Nick headed to his room and all Jo heard was the door closing with a bang. She winced. She had pushed him and Mike to tell her the truth and it was something horrifying.  _What had she done to Nick?_

* * *

Kara and Mon-El were walking back to the main street to get a taxi. Kara could see that Mon-El was hurting. She had heard it all. And just as she was about to speak, he said, "Please, don't. Don't ask me if I'm okay. I don't want to talk about it."

Kara nodded. She noticed that there was a park in the end of the street and no one else was there. She grabbed Mon-El's hand and led him to the park. He followed her quietly. And once they got there, Mon-El sat on a bench, looking lost.

Kara sat next to him and said, "I'm not going to ask you what happened. I don't think it's my place to even interfere between you and Nick, but it hurts to see you hurting."

Mon-El was quiet for a while. Then he muttered, "I spent years taking care of him. Not once did I think about myself… I was all alone, Kara. Keira wanted the baby, but I was the one raising him all alone… I never complained. Not once. And I only left because I wanted him to live his life. I wanted him to make a new life for himself… But he dared to tell me all that! He called me a coward. He said he was a burden to me… He had no right to say that!"

Kara wrapped her arms around Mon-El. "He was hurting, too, Mon-El. He's worried about his marriage. But yes, those were harsh words. And he shouldn't have. But this is your son. Relationships don't end just like that. You shouldn't let it."

"He's better off without me, Kara. And I think it's better if I stay out of his life." Mon-El stood up. "Let's go. Clark told me he's taking me to the Justice League Watchtower in the morning. I just want to sleep for a few hours."

Kara nodded. She took Mon-El's hand and kissed his palm. "I'm right here. Whenever you want to talk about it, I'm here."

"I know. And I love you."

Kara pulled his head down to press a soft kiss to his lips. "Let's go. It's easier if we fly to Clark's place."

* * *

The next morning was better than the previous night. Mon-El had been excited about visiting the Justice League HQ and despite the restless night, he woke up fresh and was ready to face the world.

After they had their breakfast, Diana left to the Themysciran embassy and the boys were ready to go to the Watchtower. Clark had invited Kara, but she politely refused saying she wanted to stay at home and watch TV.

Mon-El looked like a school kid on a field trip. He gave Kara a loud kiss before leaving with Clark. She waited for few minutes to see if they were coming back, and when they didn't, Kara headed out.

She knew what she was going to do was kinda risky. She couldn't afford to let Mon-El know. She was doing this for him, but he wouldn't be happy about it.

And so, she ended up outside the south precinct.

Nick had come to work early. He knew Jo would want to talk to him as soon as he woke up, so he woke up an hour before his normal alarm. The twins didn't have to go to playschool so they would sleep in and Jo normally slept in during weekends. He left her a note saying he would be home late.

Things were quiet at Thirty-Eight. He greeted his colleagues and went to take a seat. He got busy with the case he was working on, so when one of the officers came to tell him that someone was waiting for him outside, Nick raised a brow.

He guessed it was Mon-El, probably wanting to talk to him about what happened last night. But Nick was in no mood to talk.

Grabbing his phone, he put on his jacket and walked out to see it wasn't Mon-El like he had expected.

"Kara?"

Kara turned around hearing her name. "Hey, Nick! I hope you aren't busy."

Nick shook his head. "Why are you here? Did Mon-El ask you to talk to me?"

"He has no idea I'm here," Kara confessed. "Would you like to grab some coffee?"

Nick hesitated, but he knew Kara wouldn't leave if he said no. He gave her a small nod and walked with her to the coffee shop nearby.

Once they grabbed their coffee, they sat in the other corner where there weren't many people.

As Kara sat sipping her coffee lightly, Nick asked, "Why are you here, Kara?"

"I came here to talk."

"Mon-El can fight his own battles, trust me. You don't have to do this for him."

"Oh, I know." Kara gave him a small smile. "I know what my boyfriend is capable of, Nick. But I think you have forgotten that."

Nick narrowed his eyes at her. "What do you mean?"

"Let me tell you something about myself first." Kara's voice was low, but she knew Nick heard her clearly. "I come from Krypton. Daxam's sister planet. When my planet exploded, my parents put me in a pod and sent me after my baby cousin. I was twelve. All they asked was to go find my cousin Kal-El—we call him Clark—and raise him… Very simple for a twelve-year-old, huh? You know, Nick, I didn't even think about myself when I got into that pod. All I thought was about Clark. But destiny played a mean game with us and I ended up getting stuck in a very dark place called the Phantom Zone. No time passes there. And when I finally escaped… I was still twelve, while my baby cousin was already in his twenties."

"Superman?"

"Yeah. It was lucky that a lovely couple found him and raised him as their own child. And as for me, Clark sent me to live with the Danvers. They were bio-engineers, and I had to live with them because they would understand my kind well… Three people escaped that day, Nick, but only two of us had someone to look after us… Have you ever thought of just how much your father had to struggle when he landed here all alone? Did he have anything to eat? A shelter? A place to sleep? Do you think it was easy for him to meet a woman, knowing that he couldn't have a future with her? Yet he ended up loving her so much that he raised their child all by himself. Not because Keira wanted him to. Keira chose her fate. Yet she ended up giving Mon-El a very big responsibility. Have you ever seen him complain?"


	7. Chapter 7

Nick sat quietly, listening to Kara's questions. It was a pity that he had no answers.

"You said he was a coward for running away," Kara spoke softly. "But would you have left Portland for a better life? The life you did end up getting here at Metropolis?" Kara took another sip of her coffee before saying, "I know you feel bad that Jo doesn't know the truth. And I agree, she deserves to know the truth. If I ever found out that Mon-El was hiding something big about himself, I would be upset… But you could be smarter here, Nick. Mon-El doesn't want you to tell her. But she could find out by herself. She's smart, isn't she?"

"What do you mean?"

Kara leaned against the back of the chair and asked, "Do you visit your mother's grave often, Nick?"

Kara and Mon-El ended up going home after having lunch with Diana and Clark. Mon-El couldn't stop telling Kara all about his experience at the Watchtower. She was happy for him. So she didn't tell him about meeting Nick and what they had talked about.

Mon-El was clueless, but he was upset that Nick wasn't talking to him. Days went by and there was still no call or message from Nick. Mon-El made up his mind to just focus on work and his relationship with Kara.

* * *

Almost two months had passed and Mon-El decided to propose to Kara. At first they were mostly staying at her place, then his. They loved each other and taking the next step in their relationship seemed just right, so Kara moved in with him since his place was slightly bigger and had two bedrooms.

Mon-El knew what he wanted. He wanted to be with Kara for the rest of his life. And he was no longer afraid to talk to her about having kids. She had wanted that. He had hesitated. But now, imagining a mini Mon or mini Kara warmed his heart.

A week later, on Kara's birthday, Mon-El had planned a surprise trip for her. A beach holiday was relaxing for Kara, but when Mon-El went down on one knee as they stood looking at the full moon on the beach, Kara's eyes widened. She had said yes. She would say yes a thousand times.

When they returned home, Kara's friends had thrown her a birthday party and also celebrated Kara and Mon-El's engagement.

Nick not being there hurt. But Mon-El didn't let that spoil his mood. He couldn't do that to Kara.

A couple of days later, as Mon-El stood making breakfast for his beautiful fiancée, he heard her ask, "Did you talk to Nick?"

"No. He hasn't called yet."

Kara came to hug him from the back. "Baby, it's his birthday. You have it stored on your phone and there's a reminder."

Mon-El froze in Kara's embrace. But all she did was make him turn around and cup his face. "Talk to him. Are you two really going to be this stubborn and not acknowledge each other's existence for the rest of your life?"

Mon-El shook his head. "Trust me, he wouldn't want to talk to me."

"Try." Kara went to grab Mon-El his phone. He was reluctant, but he still called Nick. When it said that Nick's phone was switched off or out of reach, Mon-El sighed and threw his phone on the couch.

"I need to go to someplace, Kara," he said, plating her breakfast. "I'll be back soon, okay?"

Mon-El placed a soft kiss on her brow and was about to walk away when Kara grabbed his hand. "You're going to visit Keira, aren't you?"

Mon-El turned to face her and gave her a small nod. "I visit her grave every year. It's been thirty-five years since…"

"I know. Can I come with you?"

"Baby, you don't have to." Mon-El took a seat next to her and smiled at her. "You've been my ultimate strength, Kara. But I have to do this alone."

"No, you don't. I can be there and you'll feel better. Plus, you can show me where you lived all those years ago. It would be cool."

Mon-El smiled and shook his head. "So stubborn. Rao! I love you."

Kara pressed a soft kiss against his lips and said, "Let me finish my breakfast and then we can go."

Mon-El and Kara flew straight to Portland. Mon-El took her to show her his old house and noticed that it was torn down and apartments stood in its place.

Kara simply smiled and grabbed his hand. "Let's get some flowers."

She bought a whole bouquet of wild flowers, but noticed Mon-El chose a single cream rose. She didn't ask him why. It was clearly a thing between him and Keira.

The cemetery wasn't far away. But Keira's grave sure was on the very far end.

"I buried her myself," Mon-El said softly as they made their way towards the grave. "The gravestone… that came two years later."

Kara nodded and looked down at the gravestone. On it was written, 'Keira Matthews. Loving Wife. Loving Mother.'

Kara looked at the gravestone and said, "Keira, my mother always told me that if we loved someone, no distance mattered. My home, that was light years away, was lost along with Mon-El's. You don't know me, but it felt like I know you. I think the only thing we have in common is our love for Mon-El… It really is easy to love this wonderful person. We are both lucky to have him in our life… I promise you that I'll always be with him. And he will never be alone again." Kara then bent down and placed the flowers on the grave. She then stood up and looked at Mon-El. "I'll give you a minute alone. I'll wait by the gates."

Once Mon-El nodded, Kara walked away.

Mon-El let out a loud sigh and looked down. He touched the gravestone and said, "Hey, Trouble. Miss me? I know you made me promise to visit you often and here I am. I run away from a lot of things. Our son feels I'm a coward for doing that. Maybe I am… I did escape a dying planet, not thinking once about saving other people. I was their Prince, but I turned my back on them and saved my own life. It's just… I was lost, Keira. You  _knew_  that. You always called me your lost boy. And it took me all these years to finally find myself… The pretty girl who just said hi, she's my fiancée. She's like me, Keira. You would have liked her. She's amazing… I know you told me to move on and find someone and fall in love again. It took me a long time, but I finally did… I'm moving on, darling. I just hope Nick comes back, too."

Mon-El kissed his fingers and touched the gravestone before placing the rose next to Kara's flowers. He turned around and made his way towards Kara, not before stopping short when he saw a car pull outside the gates.

Mon-El's eyes widened when he noticed Nick and Jo step out. Nick looked surprised too.

"Kara?" Jo called, making her way towards the young blonde.

"Hey, Jo!" Kara accepted the quick hug and asked, "How are you?"

"I'm good. It's a surprise to see you both here…" Jo looked at Mon-El and she frowned lightly. "Wait, you told me you are related to Nick from his father's side. But you are visiting Nick's mom's grave… Mike, if you are younger than Nick then you would never have known Keira."

Mon-El gulped. His worried gaze met Nick's.

Nick made his way towards Jo and said, "Babe, let it go. We came to visit mom. Let's just do that and leave."

"No!" Jo pulled her arm out of Nick's grasp. "Something is going on and you aren't telling me. Something is up with him!" She pointed a finger at Mon-El.

Kara took Mon-El's hand in hers and said, "I think you should tell her."

Mon-El let out a sigh and nodded. "Jo, you wanted the truth, right? I can tell you, but I doubt you will believe me."

"Try me."

" _I_  am Nick's father," Mon-El said. Jo's eyes widening hearing that. "And I'm not human. That's why I look so young."

Jo looked at Nick. When she saw him nod, she turned to face Mon-El again.

"I came from a planet called Daxam. You must have already seen the news. I'm Valor. And she's Supergirl." Mon-El looked at Kara for some help.

"Jo, what Mon-El is saying is the truth," Kara said. "That's right. His name is Mon-El and I'm Kara Zor-El. And no, we are not related in any way. I come from a different planet. Superman is my cousin. But I guess you knew that already."

"Wait! Back up for a second." Jo kneaded her temple. "If you are an alien," she said, pointing at Mon-El. "Then that means Nick is a half alien?"

"Half-Daxamite," Nick said.

"And you can't age?" Jo looked at Kara and Mon-El.

They nodded. Mon-El then said, "Jo, I came to this planet a long time ago. I was all alone and years later I met Keira. When we got married, I told her that I didn't want any kids. That was because I knew she couldn't carry the baby to full term. But she gave birth to Nick… Keira had lost a lot of blood. She knew the consequences but she chose to do this. And it's true, when Nick was seventeen, I left. I wanted him to have a better future. And I felt that I would just drag him down."

Jo looked at her husband before saying, "Nick isn't like you, is he? If you are Valor and you have all these powers then—"

Mon-El cut her off by saying, "He's more human than a Daxamite. But Nick is strong and fast. Faster than humans. I tried to raise him like a human, Jo. I didn't want him to be tainted by my… by my existence. Now you know the truth. Please don't hold it against Nick. I was the one who kept telling him not to tell you. He wanted to. That night at dinner, we argued about that… And Nick, I heard what you said. I think you are better off without me in your life. You have a wonderful wife, amazing kids and a great job. You don't need me… You never did. Just think that I died with Keira." Saying that, Mon-El took Kara's hand in his and began to walk.

"Wait!" Nick called, making Mon-El and Kara stop in their tracks. "You don't get to do that!"

When Mon-El turned around, he saw Nick making his way towards them.

"You don't get to walk away just like that! Did you even ask me if I wanted a better life? You drag me down? When?! Dad, you sacrificed so much for me! You were not only my dad but also my friend. You never let me feel that I was motherless! And yes, I hated when you told me not to tell Jo. Because I love her dammit! I didn't want to lose her. But I don't want to lose you either!"

"You didn't even answer my call, Nick!"

"I was on a flight, Dad! There was no way I could have answered your phone! And when I called you back after reaching Portland, you didn't pick up!"

Mon-El touched his pockets only to realize he had left his phone at home.

"I'm sorry, Nick." He let out a sigh and made his way towards his son.

"No, Dad.  _I_  am sorry! I was an asshole." Nick threw his arms around Mon-El's neck and hugged him tightly.

"Happy Birthday, Son!" Mon-El said, hugging his son back.

What Mon-El couldn't see was Nick wiping his tears and mouthing a  _thank you_ to Kara. And all she did was smile, knowing she managed to help Mon-El and Nick someway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One last chapter left!


	8. Chapter 8

**Epilogue**

 

Nicholas Matthews slid into the second last booth next to the window at Noonan's like he had been doing for the last six years on the very same date.

It was March 27. Year 2019. And he was waiting for his father.

The waitress, Phoebe, came to take his order. "What a surprise! Mike is always the one here first."

Nick smiled at her. "I know. I thought I would come here a bit early and surprise him."

"You two are great friends, you know that?" The older woman gave him a warm smile.

Nick nodded. "The best!"

Phoebe had just taken his order of a cappuccino and left when the door opened. Nick stood up when he saw Mon-El walk in.

Dressed in dark jeans and a red t-shirt, his father looked younger than before. But Nick's eyes were on the adorable little baby Mon-El wore in a wrap around his chest.

Mon-El waved at him and made his way towards their table. "Hey, Nick! Good to see you, Kid!"

Nick hugged Mon-El, being very careful of the baby in between them. "Happy Birthday, Dad!" He then moved away and placed a soft kiss on the baby's head. She crinkled in her sleep. "Look at her! She's the cutest baby I've ever seen. And I have two of them."

"And one on the way." Mon-El took his six-month-old daughter out of the wrap and hugged her to his chest.

Nick chuckled. "Yup. Two and a half kids! I'm excited, but nervous, too."

"How's Jo? How are the twins?" Mon-El asked, just as he patted his daughter's back.

"The twins are great! Grade one. Max doesn't wanna go to school. Mia loves school and all her new friends… Jo is tired most of the time. But we can't wait to see the baby… Anyway, how's Kara? How are  _you_? Having a new baby is always… hectic."

"Kara is amazing, as always." Mon-El smiled thinking about his wife. Their baby girl had been teething and was in pain all night so Kara and Mon-El had to stay up. Mon-El did tell Kara to sleep, but she refused. He was tired, too. But there was no way he was missing his birthday coffee with Nick. So he had kissed his beautiful wife and told her that he was taking the baby to see Nick. She had sleepily wished him a happy birthday and told him that she was throwing him a surprise birthday party later. Mon-El had kissed her cheek and promised her to act surprised. "Lee was teething, so we stayed up all night. She's a calm baby, except when she's teething."

"Tell me about it! Mia was the same. She wouldn't let go off me and once I had to sleep in her crib with her."

"Daughters. They wrap you around their little fingers!" Mon-El smiled and kissed Lee's head. She had just woken up.

She frowned looking around, but when her eyes fell on Mon-El, she gave him a toothy grin. "Hey, Princess!"

"She's a real Princess." Nick smiled a secretive smile.

"I know." Mon-El winked at him. "Don't tell her yet. She thinks she's the Queen!" Just as he said that, Mon-El froze. He had heard something.

Nick knew that expression all too well now. He wordlessly held his hands out for Lee. Mon-El stood up and placed Lee in her big brother's arms. "Be with your brother, Leebee. Daddy will be right back."

Nick hugged his sister and said, "Go, Dad. Be Valor."

Mon-El sent a small salute his way before hurrying out of the café. Nick sat close to the window to see Mon-El run towards an alley. And before he could even blink, Valor was flying red in the sky.

Nick placed a soft kiss on Lee's head. "You see that, Lee? Dad's so cool. And it's amazing being kids of a superhero, right?"

"Ba ba baa…" Lee gurgled and patted Nick's cheek. He gave her a bright smile.

"Shh! It's a secret."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we have come to the end of another story! I hope you liked this one. Do let me know what you think!!

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos = Potstickers  
> Comments = Club Soda
> 
> Leave me some if you liked what you read! :)
> 
> If you like the story, don’t forget to Subscribe and Bookmark it, you’ll get a notification whenever there’s a new chapter.


End file.
